Rock and Alternative
Concert: 10/22 – Counterparts @ Toad’s Place
David Byrne’s 2025 album is almost exactly what I expected from him. He takes his classic experimental approach that he had in the 1970s and ‘80s with the Talking Heads, just with more of a modern feel to it. This album is a little more pop-oriented than some of his older stuff, but it still incorporates a lot of rock elements as well. There is a mix of themes throughout the songs as well. Some of them are about love or rejection, others are about more obscure or even basic things. “Moisturizing Thing” is one such song, which tells the story of Byrne being gifted an anti-aging moisturizer that works very well. The entire album is a collaboration with the Ghost Train Orchestra, a New York-based ensemble that “re-imagines” pieces from under-appreciated or obscure artists. This collaboration works very well, as Byrne has always been one for experimenting with sounds and instrumentation. There is also a feature from Hayley Williams on “What Is The Reason For It?” and the voices of Byrne and Williams work well together. The album is a fresh take on the classic experimental and slightly psychedelic feel of Byrne.
“All Night Days” is a new sound for Rob Thomas. When I first gave this album a listen, I was a little surprised by how light and airy many of the songs felt, as I kind of expected a sound more similar to Matchbox Twenty. This album is more pop-influenced and at times has an indie feel to it. There is also a lot of variety, as some songs like “Thrill Me” are slower and have a closer feel to some stuff from earlier in his solo career or with Matchbox Twenty.
As you could probably guess from the title, “A Dark Poem, Pt. I,” is the first installment in a trilogy album from Green Carnation, and it does a fantastic job at setting the tone for what is to come. This was my first time listening to Green Carnation, and right away I could tell there was inspiration from ‘70s and ‘80s metal, with the thick guitar sounds and driving drums. There is just an overall gloomy feel to the album that makes it feel very cohesive and makes it work very well as the first chapter of the trilogy. Green Carnation is calling this trilogy “their masterpiece,” and the first part definitely gives off that impression. The songs are long, like many classic metal groups as well, with the album only having 6 songs and still being 42 minutes long. This part one was a great introduction to the world of Green Carnation and the rest of the trilogy still to come.
“Antidepressants” is a fresh take on Suede’s ‘90s Brit-pop and punk sound, which captures a lot of the modern struggles and anxieties in their style. Suede (known as The London Suede in America) are credited by some people with pioneering Brit-pop, and while their sound is much heavier than the likes of Oasis or Blur, there are a lot of similar elements. This album has a lot of different alternative rock influences, as there are some similarities in sound to groups like The Killers or The Strokes as well, with this being just a little bit heavier. The band has described the album as “broken music for broken people” (which is also the name of one of the songs), showing the intention of what they want this album to be. It is supposed to be aggressive and in your face about real issues that people have every day.
Hip-Hop and R&B
Concert: 10/3 – Flo Rida @ Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater
During this past week, there were plenty of new releases in the hip-hop genre. Following the “Jackboys 2” release over the summer, Don Toliver released his single “Tiramisu.” Although it has been over a year since his non-featured release, Toliver proved he is still in the game. Don Toliver is known for having his authentic sound, with a style that you can always point to as his. Tiramisu truly has ‘The Don Toliver Sound.’ This new single came as a relief to diehard Don Toliver fans, knowing he isn’t changing the sound of his music.
The Kid LAROI is proving his spot on the charts this year. After his releases, “Hot Girl Problems” and “SHE DON’T NEED TO KNOW,” his name has been back in the media. This past week, LAROI released “A COLD PLAY,” which provides a slower beat and is more vocally focused.
Lizzo is back, and the whole world knows it. After her hiatus starting in 2024, she truly came back stronger than she ever was before. “MY FACE STILL HURTS FROM SMILING” is her first album since 2022, giving her 22 new songs to emphasize her new style and self. Although I have never been a huge fan of hers, her new song “BOP IT!” was quickly added to my playlist. This song has a beat that makes you want to instantly dance and puts you in a good mood.
PARTYNEXTDOOR and Drake are back together for “SOMEBODY LOVES ME PT 2.” After the huge success of “SOMEBODY LOVES ME,” which was released on the album “$ome $exy $ongs 4 U” early this year, part two was a well-needed addition. Fans, including myself, love hearing Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR together, especially in the season of Drake releasing new music.
Oldies
Concert: 11/22 – Get the Led Out – American Led Zeppelin @ Toyota Oakdale Theatre
9/6/1985 – Artificial Intelligence by John Cale (experimentalist synth-pop): This was an experimentalist time, already done with Velvet Underground, and began to be more post-punk and synth pop of the mid-80s. “Satellite Walk” literally sounds like alien music, but I love the beat. “Everytime the Dog Barks” felt mysterious but ahead of its time, with big Radiohead vibes
9/7/1979 – Cut by The Slits (punk/reggae): This is the debut album of an all-female punk band that was produced by Dennis Bovell, one of the key artists in British dub reggae who created a unique fusion. “So Tough” had a great reggae riff behind strong voices (I <3 girl punk). When it comes to “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” you already know that female rage comes with smart lyrics.
9/8/1972 – All the Young Dudes by Mott and the Hoople (hard rock): This was David Bowie’s band, of course! This album was produced by him and has his energy, which revitalized the band at a dire time. An influential artist for many future glam rock bands. “All the Young Dudes” became a youth anthem and reflected their music culture. “One of the Boys” is less about being polished and more about authenticity.
Country and Folk
Concert – 10/7 – Alexandra Kay @ Toad’s Place
If anyone follows country music social media closely, they will recognize Hannah McFarland’s name. Though she may not be as popular as some of the modern superstars, she very easily could get there one day. The gorgeous singer has been featured on many different songs as of late, including “In Case You Didn’t Know 2.0” with Brett Young and “I Just Need You” with Riley Green. Now, as the main artist, the duo of her and Rice sounds nice together. Rice’s two previous albums, “I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go To Hell” and “Go Down Singin’,” are two of my favorites of all time. Rice wrote most of the songs this time around, telling stories of his late father and tuning down his “bro country” vibe that he had early in his career. I’m sure that his new album, “ELDORA,” set to be released later this month, will be another one of my favorites. “Foolin’” may be more remembered as the collaboration that sparked dating rumors for the two, rumors that they have shut down multiple times. Regardless of their status as friends or maybe more, they do work well together, and don’t be surprised if this isn’t the last time they collaborate.
As oversaturated as Shaboozey has been in the media over the last year, thanks to his hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” the 30-year-old has put out some genuinely great music. His newest song, “Took A Walk” from the upcoming movie, “Long Walk,” is no exception. Alongside underrated country star Stephen Wilson Jr., Shaboozey gets a bit slower than his usual vibe, something I love to see. Wilson Jr and Shaboozey’s voices work really well in this duet, as they both have a raspiness that fits the vibe of the movie.
An older single, released in late August, “Turned Into Missing You” IS my favorite song right now. Max McNown is one of the biggest folk-country singers in the game right now, and his recent album “Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up)” was a continuation of the album he released in January of this year of the same name. Though this week was full of duets, between Shaboozey and Wilson Jr, and McFarland and Rice, McNown and Avery Anna ARE the best duet. I am a HUGE fan of Anna, and I could write about her for hours, but I’ll keep it brief here. This classic breakup song could crack my Spotify Wrapped this year, and I recommend it to anyone and everyone.
Though I don’t know Noah Rinker that well, “Matches and Gasoline” made me a fan of his. He has a great voice for the type of music he sings, and he really flexes it on this song. The youngster has yet to release an album, only an EP in 2024, but this song is sure to be on it whenever he does. On the long side, at four minutes and 47 seconds, listening to it is not a task, if that makes sense. Two of the lyrics in the chorus are “it tears me apart every time that I lay on your side of the bed, just waiting for you to come home,” and “someday I won’t think about you,” helping to show how much Rinker misses his lover. Overall, a really great single from someone who is definitely on my radar now.
Global
Concert: 9/23 – Shonen Knife @ Space Ballroom
Coming back with his first full album since 2022 in “Prema,” Fuji Kaze has done it again. With the two single releases in June and August, “Hachikō” and “Love Like This,” the suspense was built perfectly for the release. The Japanese singer-songwriter made his major festival debut this summer in Chicago for Lollapalooza 2025, playing at the Tito’s stage and having fans refer to his set as a “hidden gem” in the lineup.
With a new single release, “Fun,” Rema has reminded us why his music is so loved around the globe. Representing Nigeria in the global music world, there is no doubt that Afrorave will make an impact and be on the rise in the coming months, and I cannot wait to watch the world find the masterpieces Rema has been creating.
After a short lull, Aespa is back and stronger than ever with their sixth mini album, leading with the title track “Rich Man” inspired by the famous quote from singer and actress Cher, where her mother suggested she settle down and marry a rich man, to which she responded, “Mom, I am a rich man”. With the strong girl-power tone to the title track, Aespa continues on their EDM-style take on the new wave of K-pop.
